The My Little Pony Scrapbook: G1 in the UK and Europe

Tug

Adventure Boy/Big Brother Pony 1987-9

Dark teal stallion with lavender hair (dark pink streak in mane) tugboat symbol

Tug
Pony Data
Set Adventure Boy Ponies/Big Brother Ponies
1987-8 - North America
1988-9  - Europe and UK
Asst. Number 4783
Accessories White sailor's hat, light green scarf/bandana, yellow frog brush
Pose Tornado
Distribution Largely worldwide.

 
Other Versions

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Ponies Sold in 1988 in the UK Twice as Fancy (Party) Ponies | First Tooth Baby Ponies | Adventure Boy Ponies | Birthday Party with Tutti Frutti | Princess Ponies (Set 1) |Kiss Curl's Grooming Parlour | Summer Wing Ponies| Magic Message Ponies | Happytails Ponies (Import) | Newborn Twins (Set II, Partial) | Pretty & Pearly Baby Sea Ponies (UK Release) | Crimp & Curl Hair Salon | Lullabye Nursery | Baby Buggy | Sundae Best Ponies | Baby Bonnet School of Dance

Other 1988 Ponies Speedy (Europe) | Regenbogen-Ponys (Germany/Austria) | Baby-Ponys (Germany/Austria) | Princess Ponies (Set II) | Brush & Grow Ponies | Peekaboo Babies | Pony Friends (Animals) Set II| Sweetberry Ponies (UK: 1990)| Watercolor Baby Sea Ponies (UK: 1989) | Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe | Brush Me Beautiful Boutique | Slumber Party Gift Set | Perfume Puff Palace (UK: 1989) | Twice as Fancy Ponies: Set II | Clipper | Satin 'n' Lace (Magenta) |Sparkle Ponies (Mail Order)

Tug additionally sold in the UK in 1989.


Tug (Aka Salty in North America)

Tug was introduced to the UK market in 1988, as one of the Adventure Boy Ponies. He had originally been sold in North America as one of the Big Brother Ponies from 1987, where he was released under the name Salty. He was reissued in 1988 in the second North American set, and consequently also saw a re-release in 1989 in the UK. The second release in the UK kept the American set name of Big Brother Ponies, but Tug remained "Tug" in this release in the UK as well.

Tug's name
Tug's UK Name
UK Adventure Boy Card, 1988

Like all the Big Brother releases, Tug was sold with a hat and bandana (called a scarf, or a neck scarf in the UK) as well as a brush. The bandanas were the same style between ponies, but in different colours (each brother had a unique colour). The hats were specially designed to fit that pony's theme, and so were only sold with that specific character. Tug has a sailor's hat, with the letters S S Pony written on the front. His hair is intentionally curly.



Tug's character

In keeping with the theme of Adventure, Tug had a sailboat, which he often used to travel from one place to another, and took passengers with him to solve mysteries and help those in distress. His backcard story describes him telling stories about his sea adventures. Interestingly, the story also mentions him being teased about being a pirate, and keeping secrets 'under his hat'. A proper pirate pony would be released in the 1988-9 set, suggesting that piracy was still on Hasbro's mind, but that they'd decided to keep Tug on the straight and narrow after all.